Parents Reaching Out Grants

Project Guidelines

2017-2018 Parents Reaching Out (PRO) Grants for School Councils

A school council can submit only one application for the 2017-2018 PRO Grant cycle.

The maximum amount provided for a school council will be $1,000.

All applications must be approved through a motion of the school council.

Special consideration will be given to eligible projects from school councils that:

promote increased access to and awareness of math strategies and resources for parents to support their children's learning at home and at school, or

support the engagement of parents from Indigenous or racialized communities, or

encourage parent engagement in promoting the value of arts, in support of student success, or

promote the value of postsecondary education (apprenticeship, college, or university) by providing parents with information on postsecondary education pathways, possibilities, and supports for their children.

Projects must comply with the regulations, by-laws, policies and guidelines of their district school board and school council. The school principal can provide information in this area.

School councils may develop applications:

individually,

with another school council(s) in the same district school board (e.g. Family of Schools) or co-terminus district school board, or

with other groups in the school or in the community.

When working in partnership with other school councils, each school council is eligible for the maximum amount of $1,000. Each school council is responsible for submitting its own application. If approved, the school council is also responsible for the successful completion of the project and the submission of a final report to the ministry and its district school board.

Project Focus

Projects must focus on informing or engaging parents in support of improved student achievement and well-being. The grants are intended to support projects that help identify and remove barriers to parent engagement that may prevent some parents from fully participating in their children's learning.

Projects may address the following barriers:

Communication – may include translation of documents into multiple/other languages, providing parents with information related to curriculum or other school-based initiatives.

Geography – reaching parents living in a larger or remote geographic area.

Parents New to the System – parents who have a child in school for the first time, have recently moved into the area, or have recently arrived as newcomers to Ontario.

Overcoming Local Barriers – identifying local barriers to parent engagement and finding local solutions to support more parents to get involved (e.g., socio-economic, childcare, transportation, language, etc.).

Other types of barriers.

What project costs or activities are NOT eligible?

Activities that have already taken place

Payment to school board staff or volunteers, including salaries, honoraria, gifts

Applying for a Grant

Information can be saved to allow work on the application at different times.

Upon submission, a copy of the completed application will be sent by the system to the school council chair and the school principal.

Please ensure that your submission is consistent with all of your district school board's strategies and policies. The submission of an application is a legal declaration that both the school council chair and the school principal have authorized the submission of the application.

Please keep your registration email address active for at least one year for future notifications.

Final Decision

The grants will be evaluated through a provincial review process. All decisions are final and there is no appeal process. Applicants will be notified directly by email about the result of their application.

Project Timeline and Final Reporting

If your application is approved, your school council is responsible for carrying out the project as outlined in your application.

The project must be completed by June 30, 2018. Any funds not spent by June 30, 2018 must be returned to the district school board.

A final report is to be completed online by accessing http://education.factorial.ca on or before July 15, 2018. School councils are encouraged to submit their final report as soon as their project is complete. When the final report is completed, a copy will be sent by the system to the school principal. School councils must provide a copy of the final report along with all relevant receipts to their district school board.

For more information, please contact your local regional office of the Ministry of Education.